Hatate Himekaidou | To Youkai Mountain

"Shun, would you consider being one of our judges?!" Aya pleaded

Today, I was tasked with buying groceries in the Human Village.

"Judge? What for?"

"You see, Mister Rinnosuke is a genius when it comes to sewing clothes, and he has brought in some garments from the outside world!"

"And?"

"And since there are so many clothes we want to try, I want to organize an event where everyone can try on the clothes from the outside world."

"I see... but why me?"

Aya smirked and stroked her chin. "Well, your reputation here is quite high, and I heard that Youmu confessed to you on your last day in Hakugyokurou-"

I quickly covered her mouth. "Yes, I'll accept! Just please keep it down!"

Aya gently released my hand from her mouth, a surprised expression on her face. "Really?! Then, let's make plans to meet again tomorrow!"

Just as Aya was about to take off into the sky, I instinctively reached out and grabbed her arm. "Wait."

she turned to face me. "What's the matter, Shun?"

I grinned playfully at her. "Are you going to leave me hanging without any clues or hints?"

"Are you going to leave me hanging without giving me details?"

"Haha, Shun... Your smile sends shivers down my spine."

"Now then... let me tell you who will be participating in this event," Aya said, her tone becoming more serious. She reached for her small notebook and handed it to me.

I took the notebook and began scanning its contents, silently reading the names listed inside.

"Hm? Komeiji Sisters?"

Aya observed my reaction and leaned in to see what had caught my attention. "Oh? That's right... The Komeiji Sisters from the Underworld. You haven't had the chance to visit there, have you?"

I looked at Aya and shook my head in response to her question.

"I see. What about the Youkai Mountain?"

Again, I shook my head, causing Aya to gasp, her hand instinctively covering her mouth in surprise.

"H-How about the Moriya Shrine?" a slight tinge of concern in her voice.

I let out a sigh of resignation. "Look, Aya, I don't know any of these places. My time has been devoted to serving Lady Remilia."

Aya facepalmed in frustration. "Fine, I'll personally talk to that vampire and make sure you get a day off, whether you like it or not."

I tried to interject, but Aya cut me off firmly. "No! You will take a day off, no excuses."

I stared at her with a somewhat blank expression, finally relenting. "Fine, if it's that important to you."

A mischievous smile played on Aya's lips as she turned around abruptly, her wings creating a gust of wind that stirred up clouds of dust. "Heh, good. Now then, I've got things to do."

As Aya flew away, leaving behind a trail of wind and swirling dust, I muttered under my breath, "That tengu..." I sighed and heads back to the mansion.

But just as I returned to the mansion, I was greeted by an unexpected statement from Remilia.

"Shun, you may take a break," Remilia declared casually, taking a sip from her glass of blood.

I blinked in surprise, needing a moment to process her words. "Uhm... Excuse me?"

Remilia glanced at me with a playful smirk. "The tengu, Aya, informed me of your situation. She's right, you should take the opportunity to explore and experience new things."

"Are you sure, Milady? Sakuya will be left alone again to handle everything."

Remilia waved a dismissive hand. "Hehe~ Sakuya is more than capable, and I can handle things for a day. Besides, there's no need to worry because we have a new maid..." With a snap of her fingers, she beckoned for someone to enter.

Aya stepped into the room, now adorned in a maid outfit. I glanced at her with a blank expression before walking towards her, extending my hand in a polite gesture. "Nice to meet you, new maid."

"Don't call me the 'new maid!'"

"But that's what you are."

Aya sighed. "This is just... temporary."

"Hmmm, wait, so if Aya is here... who will give me a tour?"

Just then, another figure entered the room, holding a camera that resembled a modern cell phone. "It's me," she said, her voice filled with confidence. "I'll be the one to give you a tour."

"So you're the one who's been the talk of Gensokyo," Hatate remarked, extending her arm toward me.

"Nice to meet you, Hatate. I'm Shun."

I heard of Hatate's reputation before, she's a skilled reporter and photographer.

As Hatate and I shook hands, she turned to Aya and quickly snapped a picture. "This will be on the headline later," she said with a playful wink.

Aya scowled, clearly annoyed. "I'll get you back for that..."

Hatate chuckled mischievously. "Pfft~ Ahahaha!" She then redirected her attention to me. "Now then, Shun, we're going to leave."

I blinked in surprise. "Eh? But what about my belongings?"

Hatate waved her hand dismissively. "No need to worry about them. This is just a sightseeing trip."

"Oh... I see. In that case, please take care of me."

Hatate smiled. "My, how polite!"

"Fufufu~ He's the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, after all," Remilia chimed in. She then noticed her glass is empty and turned to Aya, raising her arm towards her. "New Maid, how about refilling my glass?"

"Get it yourself!"

Remilia's expression changed as her eyes began to glow. "Oh? Are you defying me?"

Aya quickly squealed and stepped back. "I mean... I'll go get the bottle first," she stammered before swiftly leaving the room.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Aya's predicament. She seemed to have gotten on Remilia's bad side. Turning my attention to Hatate, I noticed her chuckling under her breath, clearly amused by the situation.

"Now then, Shun, shall we go?" Hatate asked, still grinning mischievously.

I nodded, ready to embark on the sightseeing adventure with Hatate as my guide. "Yes, let's go."

As Hatate and I were about to leave, Remilia called out my name, causing me to pause. I turned to face her.

"Shun, before you go, if someone challenges you to a danmaku," Remilia began, her voice filled with mischief. Her eyes glowed red as she continued, "You know what to do."

We lifted into the air as I nodded and held Hatate's hand, prepared to travel to our destination—the Youkai Mountain.